A barber shop had operated in the same Unquowa Road storefront for 80 years, through several owners. Marco DiVincenzo, its current owner, knew early in 2026 that his run there was over. In a letter from the owner of the buildings, he and four neighboring tenants were told to vacate so the property could become a five-story apartment building. Coverage that February put the deadline at mid-April. "They can't see the vision," DiVincenzo told Westfair, describing his customers' reaction. "They are afraid of the extra traffic, lack of parking, what it's going to do to the area."
By June, News 12 reported that every business on the strip had found a new home, and some were still working toward reopening. All of them stayed in Fairfield. None of them is likely to come back to the block, though, because the approved plan for 15 Unquowa Road includes just two ground-floor commercial spaces totaling 2,250 square feet. Five storefronts used to stand there. What used to be one stretch of errands across from the heart of downtown is now spread across Sherman Street, Reef Road and both ends of the Post Road, and that spread is likely to last.
Old Address, New Address
| Business | Left | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Catch a Healthy Habit Cafe, renamed Clean Slate | 39 Unquowa Road | 116 Sherman Street |
| Nancy Galasso Interiors | Unquowa Road | 51 Sherman Street West |
| Fairfield Barber Shop, now within Fairfield Hair House | Unquowa Road | 1040 Post Road |
| Tenth of June and Wendy Loves This, combined as Wendy & June | Unquowa Road | 40 Reef Road |
| Las Vetas Lounge | 27 Unquowa Road | Announced for 1640 Post Road |
Around the Corner on Sherman Street
The shortest move went to the business that fought hardest to stay. Lisa Storch and Glen Colello ran Catch a Healthy Habit on Unquowa Road for 17 years. They went to court to extend their stay and were one of the last tenants out, with a final day of May 19. By late August the cafe had reopened around the corner at 116 Sherman Street as Clean Slate, in what Storch described as "a brand-new building."
The core menu is the same: organic, gluten-free fresh-squeezed juices, dairy-free smoothies, matcha and coffee. In June, Storch told News 12 the new space would stay organic and mostly plant-based while adding some non-vegan options and a full coffee bar. The owners' credentials came along too. Storch is a raw foods chef and holistic health counselor, and in 2020 she beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, according to the town's announcement.
Clean Slate is on Sherman Street partly because the town helped pay for it. The Department of Community & Economic Development gave the cafe a micro-enterprise assistance grant to cover new equipment and tenant fit-up costs. That program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is open to Fairfield businesses with five or fewer employees. According to the town, the program has helped more than sixty small businesses since it started. "It's stressful having to move after so many years, and we are grateful for the support that we received from the Town," Storch said in the announcement.
One tip for anyone searching for the cafe: News 12's June story gave the address as 16 Sherman Street while the building was still under construction. The town's August announcement lists 116 Sherman Street.
Nancy Galasso Interiors is a few doors down in the same direction, at 51 Sherman Street West. For anyone who used to stop at both, the pair is still easy to visit on one trip.
The Barber Shop Traded History for a Parking Lot
DiVincenzo was one of the first to line up a new space, and he did it through old connections. Fairfield Barber Shop now operates inside Fairfield Hair House at 1040 Post Road, next to Hansen's Flower Shop. The space had been the Brush & Blush Salon and was already set up for hair service. Fairfield Hair House is owned by June Chen, who used to work with DiVincenzo at his old shop.
Chen gave a practical reason the move has worked. "Everyone's very happy," she told News 12, and she said the parking lot has been a big perk compared with the old space. Parking was what DiVincenzo's customers worried about most when they learned about the apartments. The shop left behind 80 years at one address and ended up somewhere a regular can simply pull in.
Wendy & June Opened on Its Own Namesake Day
The most unusual reinvention happened on Reef Road. Tenth of June, a home and garden shop, and Wendy Loves This, a lifestyle and apparel brand, moved together to 40 Reef Road and now share the name Wendy & June. "We combined it to be Wendy & June," said Wendy Mount and Amanda Desmond. "But we're still two separate businesses."
When News 12 visited in mid-June, the owners said the shop had opened on the 10th of June. Both owners credited the community for getting them there. "Everybody's been so amazing," Mount said.
Las Vetas Is Still the Open Question
The coffee shop is the one move that hasn't been confirmed. Las Vetas Lounge closed its 27 Unquowa Road location on March 31. Owner Andy Servetas then announced on Instagram that it would stay downtown at 1640 Post Road. "Hooray!! We are moving to the West Side of Downtown Fairfield!!" he wrote, promising a bigger space with a live music stage and calling it "the 4th store I'm gonna build!"
In April, Westfair reported that the shop expected to reopen around July 1. In June, News 12 said renovations were still underway and a community fundraiser was helping to cover the move. As of late September, we couldn't find a published report confirming the new location is open. The shop's website still lists the old Unquowa Road address. Check the shop's Instagram before you go to 1640 Post Road for a latte.
What the Block Gets Back
The five tenants had years of warning. "They have been talking about this since 2016," Colello told Westfair. He said the property had passed down to four family members before one of them, Dr. Lee Forest, bought out the others. Forest is a Stratford family doctor who does business as 15 Unquowa Road LLC. He filed the project under Connecticut's 8-30g statute, which lets developers bypass local zoning when they include affordable units.
The plan has changed along the way:
- 2022: The Town Plan and Zoning Commission denied the original 63-unit plan, citing flooding, parking and density concerns. That same year, Patch reported a petition against the project with more than 550 signatures.
- 2024: A judge ruled for the developer and set conditions for final approval.
- June 2025: The commission approved a 50-unit plan as part of a settlement. A July 2025 report said the plan still needed approval from the Superior Court judge overseeing the case.
- Early 2026: Tenants received letters to vacate, and Colello said he understood a demolition permit had been applied for.
The approved building is five stories and 57,230 square feet, with 50 apartments, eight of them affordable. The two street-facing commercial spaces total 2,250 square feet. In June, News 12 described the old buildings as marked for future demolition, with construction to follow. We found no published start date for either. For now, the empty storefronts are all that's left of the old strip. Clean Slate, Nancy Galasso Interiors, Fairfield Hair House and Wendy & June are open for business at their new addresses on Sherman Street, the Post Road and Reef Road.
When a downtown block changes, the value of the homes around it changes too, and the effects rarely show up in a single headline. If you own near Fairfield Center and want to know how the 15 Unquowa Road project and the new storefront map could affect your property, Jillian Klaff can help. Request a personalized market consultation.
